Retrieving Charisms for the Twenty-First Century

Charisms are a special variety of gifts dispensed through the Holy Spirit in Church and world, as needed, for the common good. Three surprises are imbedded in this definition. First, that charisms are found not only in ecclesial settings but among people who hold jobs in the marketplace and raise families in homes the world over. Second, charisms are bound to emerge, if we look hard enough, in all places where human needs assert themselves. Third, charisms are always given not for the individual as other gifts are but for the common good. This book explores the surprising appearances of charisms at the same time that it honors Leon-Joseph Cardinal Suenens (1904-1996) who spent a fair amount of his lifetime rejoicing in the unexpected and powerful placement of these unique sparks from the Spirit of God.